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Key Dates in International Women’s History

1911 FirsteverInternationalWomen’sDaycelebrated.

1913 MarieCurieisawardedtheNobelPrizeforChemistry.

Norwegianwomengaintherighttovote.

1915 WomenfromtheU.S.andEuropegatherinTheHagueinthe

NetherlandsforthefirstInternationalCongressofWomen--laterknow astheWomen’sInternationalLeagueforPeaceandFreedom.

1916 JeannetteRankinofMontanaisthefirstwomanelectedtotheU.S.

Congress.

1918 WomeninRussiastrikefor“breadandpeace.”Thestrikehelpsinitiate

therevolutionthatresultsintheoverthrowoftheimperialgovernment. March8th,thedaythestrikebegan,islaterchosentomark InternationalWomen’sDay.

Canadianwomengaintherighttovote.

Britishwomenover30aregrantedrighttovote.

TheIndianNationalCongresssupportsgivingwomentherighttovote.

HungarianfeministRosikaSchwimmerisappointedambassadorto

Switzerland.

1919 WomenentertheBritishHouseofCommonsforthefirsttimewithLady

Astor’sappointment.

1920 The19thAmendmenttotheU.S.Constitution,givingwomentheright tovote,becomeslawwhenitisratifiedbytwo-thirdsofthestates.The LeagueofWomenVotersisfounded.

International

Women’s Day was

first celebrated on

March 8th, 1911.

A look back at

the last century

illustrates the

overwhelming

progress that

women around

the world

have made.



TheTreatyofVersaillesstatesthatwomenmustreceiveequalpayastheirmalecounterparts.

1922 TheNationalCouncilofWomeniscreatedinChiletofightforwomen’srights.

TheBrazilianFederationfortheAdvancementofWomenisfoundedbyBerthaLutz.

1923 FamilyplanningpioneerMargaretSangeropensthefirstlegal,physician-runbirthcontrolclinicinthe UnitedStates.

1925 NellieTayloeRossisthefirstwomangovernorofaU.S.state(Wyoming).

1926 GertrudeEderleisthefirstwomantoswimtheEnglishChannel.

1928 WomencompeteforthefirsttimeinOlympicfieldevents.

1931 ActivistJaneAddamsreceivestheNobelPrizeforPeace.SheisthefirstAmericanwomantowina NobelPeacePrize.

GertrudeVanderbiltWhitneyfoundsTheWhitneyMuseumofAmericanArtinNewYorkCity,becomingthe firstwomantofoundamajorartmuseum.

1932 AmeliaEarhartmakesthefirstsoloflightbyawomanacrosstheAtlantic.Sheisthefirstwomantobe awardedtheDistinguishedFlyingCross.

AlexandraKollontaiisappointedambassadorfromtheSovietUniontoSweden.Sheisconsideredthe firstwomanambassadorinmodernhistory.

1933 FrancesPerkinsisappointedSecretaryofLaborbyFranklinD.Roosevelt.Sheisthefirstwoman

appointedtoacabinetpositionintheAmericangovernment.

1934 WomeninBrazilandThailandgaintherighttovote.

1937 Cubarequiresequalpayforequalworkregardlessofgender.

1945 EleanorRooseveltbecomestheAmericandelegatefortherecentlyformedUnitedNations.In1946she iselectedastheheadoftheUnitedNationsHumanRightsCommission.Sheisinstrumentalindrafting theDeclarationofHumanRights.

1946 TheUnitedNationsCommissionontheStatusofWomenisformed.

TheSudaneseWomen’sLeagueisfounded.ItismodernSudan’sfirstwomen’sorganization.

WomeninthePhilippinesgaintherighttovote.

1948 InJapan,womenvoteandrunforelectionintheHouseofRepresentativesforthefirsttime.

1949 WomengaintherighttovoteinIsraelandSouthKorea.

ThePeronistaFeministPartyisfoundedinArgentinianbyEvaPerón.

TheSecondSex(LeDeuxièmeSexe),byFrenchfeministSimonedeBeauvoir,ispublished.Ithasa

majorimpactonunderstandingsofgender.



1952 MolecularbiologistRosalindFranklinbeginsworkatKing’sCollege,London.Shegoesontoplaya

majorroleinthediscoveryofDNA.

IsraelpassestheWomen’sEqualRightsAct,makinggenderdiscriminationillegal.

1954 Colombianwomenaregrantedtherighttovote.

1955 RosaPark’srefusaltogiveupherseattoawhitemanonabus,andhersubsequentarrest,isusedto

launchtheMontgomerybusboycott.

1956 InIsrael,GoldaMeirisappointedMinisterofForeignAffairs.SheistheonlywomenintheIsraeli

cabinet.

1958 SwedishdiplomatAgdaRösselisthefirstwomantoheadapermanentdelegationtotheUnitedNations.

1960 SirimavoBandaranaikeiselectedasPrimeMinisterofSriLanka.

InJapan,NakayamaMasaisappointedMinisterofHealthandWelfare.SheisJapan’sfirstfemale

cabinetmember.

1961 Paraguaygrantswomentherighttovote.ItisthelastrepublicintheAmericastodoso.

1963 BettyFriedanpublishesTheFeminineMystique,whichgalvanizesthewomen’srightsmovement.

ValentinaTereshkovaofRussiabecomesthefirstwomaninspace.

Iranianwomengaintherighttovote.

1964 TitleVIIoftheCivilRightsActprohibitsdiscriminationinemploymentonthebasisofraceorsex.

1965 TheSupremeCourtrulingintheGriswoldv.StateofConnecticutcasestatesthatlawsprohibitingthe

useofbirthcontrolareunconstitutional.

1966 TheNationalOrganizationofWomenisfoundedbyfeministBettyFriedanandotherdelegatesto

theThirdNationalConferenceoftheCommissionontheStatusofWomen.

IndiraGandhibecomesIndia’sfirstfemalePrimeMinister.

1968 SoongChing-lingisnamedCo-ChairwomanofthePeople’sRepublicofChina.Sheisthefirstnon-royal

womantoleadthestateofChina.

1969 GoldaMeirbecomesIsrael’sfirstfemaleprimeminister.

1970 TheBostonWomen’sHealthBookCollectivehelpslaunchthewomen’shealthmovementintheU.S.by

publishingOurBodies,Ourselves.

1971 IndialaunchesitsNationalCommissionontheStatusofWomen.

HelgaPedersonbecomesthefirstfemalejudgeontheEuropeanCourtofHumanRights.

WomeninSwitzerlandgaintherighttovote.



1972 TitleIXoftheEducationAmendmentsbanssexdiscriminationinschools.Enrollmentofwomen

inathleticsprogramsandprofessionalschoolsincreasesdramatically.

MsMagazineislaunchedbyagroupoffeminists,includingGloriaSteinem,asanoutletforfeminist

voicesinAmerica.

1973 TennisstarBill ieJeanKingwinsthe“battle-of-the-sexes”tennismatchagainstBobbyRiggs.Theevent

ishighlypublicizedandservesasinspirationfordemandsforequalrightsandopportunitiesforfemale

athletes.

TheRoev.WadedecisionbytheSupremeCourtrulesthatawomanhasaconstitutionalrightto

abortion.

Sex-segregated“helpwanted”adsarebannedfollowingtheSupremeCourtrulinginPittsburghPressv.

PittsburghCommissiononHumanRelations,413U.S.376.

WomeninJordangaintherighttovote.

1974 MariaEstela(Isabela)MartinezdePeronbecomesthefirstwomentoleadanAmericannationwhenshe

succeedsherhusbandasPresidentofArgentina.SheisalsothefirstfemalepresidentofArgentina.

1975 TheUNnames1975InternationalWomen’sYear.March8thhasbeencelebratedasInternational

Women’sDayeversince.

TheWorldCongressforInternationalWomen’sYearopensinBerlin.

ThefirstWorldConferenceonWomenisheldinMexicoCity.

ThePregnancyandDiscriminationActispassedtoprohibitdiscriminationonthebasisofpregnancy,

childbirth,orrelatedmedicalconditions.

1976 1976–1985TheUnitedNations’DecadeforWomen.

TinaAnselmibecomesthefirstwomanintheItaliancabinetwhensheisappointedLabourminister.

Nigerianwomengaintherighttovote.

1977 DiscriminationonthebasisofsexormaritalstatusisprohibitedbylawinCanada.

Nigerianwomengaintherighttovote.

1978 Women’sHistoryWeekisfirstcelebratedinSonomaCounty,California.

Kuwaitiwomen’sprotestssuccessfullykeepaproposedlawprohibitingwomenfromworkinofficesfrom

legallypassing.

1979 TheUNGeneralAssemblyadoptstheConventionontheEliminationsofAllFormsofDiscriminationagain

Women.Itdefineswhatcountsasdiscriminationagainwomenandcreatesanagendafor

nationstoadopt.

MotherTeresaisawardedtheNobelPeacePrizeforherworkintheslumsofCalcutta,India.



MariadeLourdesPintasilgobecomesthefirstfemalePrimeMinisterofPortugal.

LidiaGeileriselectedPresidentofBolivia.Sheisthefirstwomantoholdthisposition.

MargaretThatcherbecomesGreatBritian’sfirstfemalePrimeMinister.

SimoneWeilofFrancebecomesthefirstwomanelectedPresidentoftheEuropeanParliament.

1980 VigdisFinnbogadottirbecomesthefirstwomanelectedPresidentofIceland.

1981 JeaneKirkpatrickbecomesthefirstfemaleU.S.ambassadortotheUnitedNations.

SandraDayO’ConnoristhefirstwomanontheU.S.SupremeCourt,servinguntil2006.

GroHarlemBrundtlandbecomesthefirstwomanPrimeMinisterofNorway.

1982 AgathaBarbaraisthefirstwomanelectedPresidentofMalta.

MilkaPlanincisthefirstwomantobecomePrimeMinisterofYugoslavia.

1983 SallyRidebecomesthefirstAmericanwomantotravelinspace.

1985 EugeniaCharlesisthefirstwomantobecomePrimeMinisterintheCaribbean.

1986 CorazonAquinoisthefirstwomantobeelectedpresidentofthePhilippines.

MariaLiberia-PetersbecomesthefirstwomanPrimeMinisteroftheNetherlandsAntilles.

1987 CongressexpandsWomen’sHistoryWeektoamonth-longeventcelebratedinMarch.

WilmaMankillerisnamedthefirstwomanChiefoftheCherokeeNation.Sheisthefirstwomantolead

amajorNativeAmericanTribeinmodernhistory.

1988 BenazirBhuttoisthefirstwomantoleadaMuslimcountryinmodernhistorywhenshebecomesprime

ministerofPakistan.

1990 MaryRobinsonisthefirstfemalePresidentofIreland.

ErthaPascal-TrouillotisthefirstwomantobeelectedPresidentofHaiti.

CarmenLawrenceisthefirstfemalePremierofAustralia.

1991 EdithCressonisthefirstwomanPrimeMinisterofFrance.

KhaledaZiaRahmanisthefirstwomanPrimeMinisterofBangladesh.

1992 RitaJohnstonisthefirstfemalePremierofCanada.

1992 HannaSuchockaisthefirstfemalePrimeMinisterofPoland.

1993 JanetRenoisthefirstwomanAttorneyGeneraloftheUnitedStates.

ToniMorrisonbecomesthefirstAfrican-AmericanwomantowintheNobelPrizeforliterature.

SylvieKinigiisthefirstfemalePrimeMinisterofBurundi.

TansuCillerisTurkey’sfirstfemalePrimeMinister.



1995 TheInternationalConferenceonPopulationandDevelopmentinCairocreatesaProgramofAction.

SomeofthegoalsoutlinedbytheProgramofActioninclude,achievinguniversaleducation,reducing

infantandchildmortality,reducingmaternalmortality,andachievingaccesstoreproductiveandsexual

healthservicesincludingfamilyplanning.

The4thWorldConferenceonWomenisheldinBeijing,China.

1997 MadeleineAlbrightissworninasthefirstwomanU.S.SecretaryofState.

JennyShipleybecomesthefirstwomanPrimeMinisterofNewZealand.

1999 MireyaMoscosoiselectedasPanama’sfirstfemalepresident.SheoverseestheU.S.handoverofthe

PanamaCanal.

2000 TheMillenniumDevelopmentGoals(MDGs)aredevelopedtoimprovetheconditionsoftheworld’s

poorestcountriesbyyear2015.Thegoalsareto,1.Eradicateextremepovertyandhunger,2.Achieve

universalprimary,3.Promotegenderequality,4.Reducechildmortality,5.Improvematernalmortality,

6.CombatHIV/AIDS,Malariaandotherdiseases,7.Ensureenvironmentalsustainability,and8.Create

globalpartnershipsfordevelopment.

BeverleyMcLachlinbecomesthefirstfemalechiefjusticeoftheSupremeCourtofCanada.The

CanadianSupremeCourthadruledthatwomenwerenot“persons”70yearsearlier.

TarjaHaloneniselectedFinland’sfirstwomanpresident.

2001 AreferendumincludingtherightofwomentostandforofficeisapprovedbyvotersinBahrain.

2004 MegawatiSukarnoputribecomesthefirstfemalePresidentoftheRepublicofIndonesia.

2005 CondoleezzaRiceisthefirstAfrican-AmericanwomantoserveasU.S.SecretaryofState.

2004 WangariMaathai,aKenyanenvironmentalactivist,isawardedtheNobelPeacePrize.Sheisthefirst

blackAfricanwomantowinaNobelPrize.

Kuwaitiwomengaintherighttovote.

2006 EllenJohnsonSirleafbecomesthefirstfemalePresidentinAfricawhensheiselectedinLiberia.

MichelleBacheletisthefirstwomanelectedPresidentofChile.

2007 NancyPelosiissworninasthefirstfemaleSpeakeroftheU.S.HouseofRepresentatives,oneofthe

mostpowerfulpostsintheU.S.government.

2007PratibhaPatiliselectedasthefirstwomanPresidentofIndia.

Thefirstall-femaleUNPeacekeepingunitisdeployed.Itismadeupofover100policewomenfrom

IndiananditissenttoLiberia.



2009 MichelleObamabecomesthefirstAfrican-AmericanFirstLadyoftheUnitedStates.

SoniaSotomayorbecomesthefirstHispanic,andthirdwoman,toserveasajusticeoftheU.S.Supreme

Court.

2011 UNWomenisformedoutofanumberofexistingUNorganizations.UNWomenisformedtofurtherthe

empowermentofwomenandgirlsandtoadvocateforgenderequality.

About the UN Foundation

TheUnitedNationsFoundation,apubliccharitywascreatedin1998withentrepreneurandphilanthropistTedTurner’shistoric$1

billiongifttosupportUNcausesandactivities.Webuildandimplementpublic-privatepartnershipstoaddresstheworld’smost

pressingproblems,andworktobroadensupportfortheUNthroughadvocacyandpublicoutreach.Throughinnovative

campaignsandpartnerships,weconnectpeople,ideas,andresourcestohelptheUNsolveglobalproblems.Thecampaignshelp

reducechildmortality,empowerwomenandgirls,createanewenergyfuture,securepeaceandhumanrights,andpromote

technologyinnovationtoimprovehealthoutcomes.ThesesolutionsarehelpingtheUNadvancetheeightglobaltargetsknownas

theMillenniumDevelopmentGoals(MDGs).Formoreinformation,visitwww.unfoundation.org.

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